Cushioning device for shafts



(No Model.) W H CLARK 4 SheetsSheet 1.

. OUSHIONING DEVICE FOR SHAPTS.

No. 299,113. Patented May 27, 1884.-

N. PETERS. PMo-Uflwgmphor. Whhingkm, D C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. CLARK.

GUSHIONING DEVICE FOR SHAFTS.

No. 299,113. Patented May 27, 1884.

,fiz'imessefr jmvemi amz N. PETERS. Plwbuthngnphar, Wnhinmon, D. C.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' W. H. CLARK.

GUSHIONING DEVIGE FOR SHAPTS.

No. 299,113. Patented May 27, 1884.

N4 FEi'ERS. Photn-Lkhomphlr. Waninghm. ac.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 4.

W. H. CLARK.

GUSHIONING DEVIGE FOR SHAFTS. No. 299,113. PatentgdMay 27, 1884.

Wily 5 N. PETERS, Pholo-Liuwgrapher, Wuhiflgwn. EC

Urarrno Starts Parent tries.

WILLIAM H. CLARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CUSHlONING DEVECE FOR SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,113, dated May 27, 1884. Application filed August (i, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CLARK, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cushioning Devices for Shafts, &c., of which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsfin which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the cushioning devices, showing the shaft in section; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the cushioning devices, showing the shaft broken off at both ends; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of the bearings for the shaft and the cushioning devices, showing the shaft in elevation and a screw for a propeller; Fig. 4, an elevation of the crank end of the shaft. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the cushioning devices, showing the shaft in section, and showing the parts in the position they occupy when. in their normal condition, or under no strain, Fig. lshowing them in the position they occupy when under strain.

The object of this invention is to prevent the shock and strain on an engine and driving devices consequent on meeting the resistance, and it is primarily designed for useon screw-driven steamers, but can be used in connection with other machinery and for other purposes; and its nature consists ,in providing a cushion located between the power and the load, and arranged to take the resistance of the load and prevent its transmission to the powerexcept in such gradual manner as not to be felt, thereby relieving the power-trans mitting devices from the strain and resistance of the load.

In the drawings, A represents a metal plate having a central longitudinal opening, A, of width sufiicient for the passage of the drivingshaft.

B is a cross-bar or plate, secured to one end of the plate A by bolts or screws a, or in any other suitable manner.

0 represents guide-rods, one on each side of the sliding plate A, each rod passing through a suitable opening in the cross-bar B in such manner as to leave the crossbar free to slide on the rods. x

D represents coiled springs, one on each rod 0, and located around its rod below the cross-bar B.

E E represent a backing or supporting plate, the central portion, E, of which forms a bearing-surface for the plate A, which plate is held in position by recesses formed by flanges 0, so as to leave the plate A free to slide. The outer portions, E, of this backing or supporting plate, as shown, are concaved or depressed for the reception of the springs D; but the entire plate E E might be plain on its front face, the guide-rods being set sufficiently out there from for the location of the the plate. At the center of the plate is a hub or collar, E, having an opening for the passage of the shaft, and on each end of the portions E of the backing-plate is a flange, b, which receives the end of the rod (0 on each side, the fastening being completed by means of a half-box or cap, I), secured in place by screws or bolts Z), and these flanges b and half-boxes or caps b at one end form the support for one end of the springs D, as shown in Fig. 1.

F is a cam or eccentric of a heart shape approximately, having at its apex a projection or extension, (2, as shown in Fig. 1, and having at its base a hub or collar, F, with a cen tral opening for the passage of the shaft, on which shaft the cam or eccentricis secured by set-screws passing through the collar or hub F, or by keys or any other suitable manner.

springs clear of The sliding plate A has a journal-pin, e, at

one end, on which is mounted an anti-friction roller, 6, with which the edge of the cam or eccentric F comes in contact, so that as the cam or eccentric is turned the edge will bear on the roller and move the plate A, and, as shown, the extension cl performs the office of a stop to limit the rotation of the cam and prevent the cam from turning completely around and passing the apex, so as to have the roller engage the opposite sides thereof, whi e11 might be the case in the event the resistance was stronger than the force of the spring.

G is the driving-shaft, which, as shown, is the shaft for driving a propeller-screw,which shaft is supported in suitable bearings, as usual, and to which the cam or eccentric is secured by its hub E in any firmmanner, so that the cam anditheshaft will move together. 7

H is the crank-shaft, having a series of cranks, H H H as shown.

I is a sleeve attached to or formed with the crank H in'the form of constructionshown, and having a central opening to receive'the end of the shaft G, which shaft at the end is smaller in diameter than the body of the shaft. The sleeve I has secured thereto, by the hub E, the supporting-plate E E, and this plate is located to bring, it, in position for the slid:- ing plate A to be in contact, or nearly,so,with the face of the cam or eccentric F, and'have the cam or eccentric be engaged by or engage with the roller 6.

J represents bearings forsupporting the crank-shaft H, and J one of the bearings'for the shaft-G. The bearing J which is adjacent to the collar E, has an opening of sufficient diameterfor the passage of the collan'Ii on each side, as-shownin Fig. 3, which collar isfor the purpose of=receivin g the-end thr-ust of the shaft in. use and preventing damage from such end-thrust, and as manysuchcol larsland anti-friction rollersmay be-usedas requiredz to hold the shaft against the endporting-plate,rotating such plate and bringing' thrust.

L is-a propeller -screw,which-is'to be secured to the-end of the shaft G, as usual, The shaft Gis-looseinthe collar I',so that the collar is free torrevolve independent of the shaft, and the connectionbetween-the cranks and the shaft is made through the supporting-plate for the springs-D, and sliding plate A, which is connectedwith the collar I through the hub -E' by set-screws,keys, orother suitable means, and

the cam or eccentric F, which is secured ina like manner upon the shaft' G, which cam or eccentric, by its engagement withithe-roller-e' of the plate A, connects the plate with the cam, and through the. sliding plate- A- and supporting-plate therefor connects the crank withthe shaft. This connection :is I ayielding one, andis inoperativeuntil the power and the resistance are equalized, and in case the power andresistance are unequal the -differ-' from the enginesorother motivepower. is

transmitted throughthe collar I tothesupthe roller- 0 into contact with the face of the canrF, around which the roller travels until the resistance of thespring exerts sufficient power to force the roller into contactwiththe cam, to cause the cam to be rotated thereby,

,teract' the-amount of resistance.

which rotation of the cam drives the shaft G, andjthe distance, that the roller travels around the cam will depend upon the resistance of the permitted by the plate A sliding in the grooves on the supportingplate, and in case the resistance decreases the springs will return the roller to the proper point of the plate to counrangem'ent it will be seen that, no matter how much the resistance or load maybe varied, it

will be compensated: for through the cam, roller, sliding plate, and spring, which form a cushion between the power and the roller to receive the various effects of the resistance, the result being that the. jar and tremble and the strainheretofore resulting when the resistance is met isentirely, overcome,. as the effects of the resistance'are transmitted to the cushioningdevice instead of to the-other parts, K is a collar locatedon the shaftG, and-engaging with anti-friction! rollers K, arranged Goiled springs-are shown, but it is'evident that other forms of springscould beused', and,

as shown, the cam or eccentric is lockedito the shaft and the resisting or cushioning'devices=connected-with the crank; but it is-evt dent-that thelocation of these parts could be reversedwithoutdepartingfromtheinvention;

" The form of the supporting-plate and the manner of: connecting the rod therewith,and of locating-thecoiled or other springsandlarranging the sliding plate andrcam, can-bevaried from that shown so-long astheseparts willperformthe required offi'ce of producing a resistance or cushion betweenthe power and the load, and these devices can bevariedto suit the location of the driving mechanism andthe place where used. As shown-in-Eig. 1, the springs or cushioning devicesare *in the position they occupy when under strain of considerableresistance, and as showninFig. 5 the parts are in their normal condition, in which case the roller 6 is-engaged-with'the base endof thecamon eccentric F, orthe =eccentricstand's above and clear of the roller, as-the case may beyandit willbe seen;that no ill effects of the resistance arising from either a forward ora reverse movement of the shaftwill be transmittedto the power, for the reason that the cam-or, eccentric, being of the same shape on both sides,will perform the required'worli of acting on the springsto fur nish the cushioning effect, no matter in which directionit may turn, by which arrangement ill effectscannot-be had with eithera forward or reverse movement.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cushioning device located between the load, the travel of the roller on the cam being By this arpower and the load, and operating to relieve the strain in use under varying resistance on either a forward or reverse movement ofthe shaft, substantially as specified.

2. A cam oreccentric, a sliding plate carry ing a roller, a supporting-plate for the slid ing plate, and resisting-springs for the sliding plate, in combination witha driving-crank centric F, and interposed between the power and shaft, substantially as and for the purpose and the load, substantially as and for the purspecified. pose specified. I5 3. The combination of the cam or eccentric 5. The sliding plate A, carrying the roller 5 F and sliding, plate A, having the roller 0, e, cross-head B, guide-rods O, springs D, and with resisting-springs D, and interposed besupporting or backing plate E E, in combinatween the power and the load to receive the tion with a cam or eccentric, F, substantially shock of the resistance, substantially as specias and for the purpose specified.

fied. WILLIAM H. CLARK. IO 4:. The sliding plate A, carrying the roller WVitnesses: B

e, supporting plate E, guide rods 0, and EDGAR T. BOND,

springs D, in combination with the cam or ec- ALBERT H. ADAMS. 

